What Are You Reading?

Nody

Fian wrote: »

I have this in calibre since last night, will transfer to my kindle in teh coming days - it is next on my "to read" list. Mainly from recommendations here plus my brother happened to be reading it on his kindle when he stayed with me last night.

Love to hear someone's else view on it

coffee_cake

Moved on from Kingfountain to another of his series, the Harbinger one. Ate the first two, the next one isn't out til November. They're in the same kind of multiverse as Kingfountain which is cool.
Now on the Muirwood one which is in the same setting as the Harbinger ones, but eons earlier. Enjoying it also. I like the magic going on in the books and interesting stories. Again not super duper in depth and light enough reading

ixoy

Finished "An Unwelcome Quest" by Scott Meyer, the third book in his Magic 2.0 series. It's a fun portal fantasy, with this particular novel taking place inside a simulation of a classic RPG adventure. The self-aware characters add a lot to it and the pacing is generally good, although there's a bit of repetition with some of the character's plots. Another decent palette cleanser.

Now 29% into "The Autumn Republic" by Brian McClellan, the third book in his Power Mage trilogy. This flintflock fantasy is clearly influenced in style by his mentor Brandon Sanderson. The use of pistols and gunpowder-triggered magic is a nice differentiator even if the main plot itself isn't overwhelmingly original. Again though, like with Sanderson, it's an easy read and I'm hoping it wraps up nicely.

lordgoat

Started Broken Earth Book 1. Interesting start.

Sleepy

Started Assassin's Fate last night. The final trilogy really isn't as engrossing as the past ones, due in huge part to Hobb's insistence on re-covering the contents of the previous books almost constantly.

Thargor

Sleepy wrote: »

Started Assassin's Fate last night. The final trilogy really isn't as engrossing as the past ones, due in huge part to Hobb's insistence on re-covering the contents of the previous books almost constantly.

The repetition is off the scale, it's like she fit it all in one book and the publishers used a piece of software or a warehouse full of Indian students to drag it out to three, I'm skim reading and not missing anything, just want to get it over with and move on now.

Paddy Samurai

Nody wrote: »

Finished Kings of the Wyld .....................

Now starting up a new series from a favourite author of mine with Red Sister by Mark Lawrence.

I was looking forward to Kings of The Wyld and really wanted to like it ,but in the end it fell flat for me.The characters modern phrases I found jarring ,it just kept kicking me out of the world I was trying to immerse myself in.

A big +1 for Mark Lawerence ...a top Notch writer with a great sense of humour.

Nody

Nody wrote: »

Now starting up a new series from a favourite author of mine with Red Sister by Mark Lawrence.

Finished Red Sister; if you read Mark Lawrence world building this is more of the same but a very different world (only a small band around the equator is ice free etc.). Unlike his earlier series which are self contained and reads a lot like a set of interconnected short stories this was a full book on one story which does not wrap up at the end of it. In terms of main character it's not like either character in the first two series he wrote; I'd guess closest approxmiation coming to mind at the moment would be the barbarian friend who sticks with you in good and bad times and occasionally goes on a rampage. Either way if you've not read his previous works I'd probably start there because they flow faster and this one is much slower.

Now moving on to another favorite author of mine (but has had a fall out on this forum from what I've seen) with the Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan while waiting for him to continue the Raven's shadow.

opus

Currently reading Becky Chambers "Record of a Spaceborn Few", quite enjoyed the first two in her Wayfarers series, not really action packed or anything but something in her style of writing & characters appeals to me.

Thargor

Sleepy wrote: »

Started Assassin's Fate last night. The final trilogy really isn't as engrossing as the past ones, due in huge part to Hobb's insistence on re-covering the contents of the previous books almost constantly.

Thargor wrote: »

The repetition is off the scale, it's like she fit it all in one book and the publishers used a piece of software or a warehouse full of Indian students to drag it out to three, I'm skim reading and not missing anything, just want to get it over with and move on now.

This is ridiculous, book 2 is 900 pages long according to my ereader (could be inaccurate compared to a hardback) but 700 of those pages in they still haven't gone after the enemies from the end of book 1! They're just standing around talking and describing each others clothes and past relationships, this is well into pisstake territory now, I dont think Im going to be able to face a third book of this...

Quandary

Recently finished the red rising trilogy by Pierce Brown. Very enjoyable read imo. A bit on the simplistic side, characters are not the deepest but it rips along at a roaring pace and it's an easy trilogy to dip in and out of without feeling too lost.

In some ways it's like a hybrid mix of Enders Game and The Hunger Games but with a slightly more adult feel to it.

shootermacg

Quandary wrote: »

Recently finished the red rising trilogy by Pierce Brown. Very enjoyable read imo. A bit on the simplistic side, characters are not the deepest but it rips along at a roaring pace and it's an easy trilogy to dip in and out of without feeling too lost.

In some ways it's like a hybrid mix of Enders Game and The Hunger Games but with a slightly more adult feel to it.

Yep, very old school pulp hero-always-has-a-plan type of stuff. But it rips along at a crazy pace and I have to say I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Trojan

Thargor wrote: »

This is ridiculous, book 2 is 900 pages long according to my ereader (could be inaccurate compared to a hardback) but 700 of those pages in they still haven't gone after the enemies from the end of book 1! They're just standing around talking and describing each others clothes and past relationships

I gave up totally on Hobb after book 1, which I contend you could literally rip in two, and throw away the first half and miss nothing.

Actually, I should have trusted my instincts and given up after the Soldier's Son series. I was a huge fan of her early work, but you said it better than me:

Thargor wrote: »

this is well into pisstake territory now

ixoy

69% into "Ancillary Mercy" by Anne Leckie, the third book in her Imperial Radch trilogy.
I enjoyed the first book in the series but found the second very dull. The third one here has dragged for the first half, but it's finally picking up pace. The scale of the story seems very small, which is frustrating because there seems to be an interesting universe potentially in the Radch empire - but we never get to see it.
What we do get to see is a lot of people drinking tea and chatting. Now sometimes the conversations are interesting - and there's certainly some good stuff about identity (although the gender pronoun thing is a tad irritating) and there's also good ideas that aren't being expanded on (the Presger Translator is my favourite).. it's just a shame the plot's just a bit.. boring. So far will be unlikely to be buying more of the books.

Fian

Nody wrote: »

Finished Kings of the Wyld and honestly it was a very good debute book. Now let me put that in perspective; it feels very much like Legend by Gemmell and it's definitly not to deep meta going on etc. but it's a fun, quick paced, humour packed romp about a famous warband who 20 years later need to rejoin to take on an impossible mission to save someone's dauther. It's not traditional fantasy with dwarfs, elves etc. but you do have kobolds, goblins, orcs, giants, cyclops, wargs, giant spiders etc. and for a first debute novel I'd honestly highly recommend it. It sets of quickly and once it gets going it never slows down noticeably; I will look forward to reading more from him and this new world.

Now starting up a new series from a favourite author of mine with Red Sister by Mark Lawrence.

Just finished this.

It is kind of episodic, each chapter is sort of a series of standalone stories, albeit same characters throughout. Fast paced, decent comedy, enjoyable, not hugely memorable though.

Worth a read all the same.

Xofpod

I'm hearing a lot of love recently for "Lud in the Mist". Anybody here read it?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Finished Legend, still my favourite of all time, and finished Dune by Frank Herbert during broken time while working. Still a great book but I felt the ending was rushed, tbh, from the beginning of the battle to the post battle scenes with just a turn of the page.

Slightly unfair, I know.

keane2097

Almost finished Return of the Crimson Guard. I enjoyed Night of Knives ok but this is much more epic and along the lines of an Erikson Malazan book.

A few issues with it but overall very good.

Quandary

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Finished Legend, still my favourite of all time

Legend is just an amazing read. First read it 20 years ago and it got me hooked on Gemmell.

ixoy

14% into "The Hyena and the Hawk", book 3 in Adrian Tchaikosfky's "Echoes of the Fallen" trilogy. The story's moving along swiftly and given how it ties in elsewhere, it's working a lot more for me. It still lacks some of the richness of the steampunk of the Apt series but the various Shifting is making for some strong action scenes.
As an aside, after reading this Adrian will overtake Sanderson in my "most read" books. Adrian makes Brandon seem lazy at times!

Thargor

ixoy wrote: »

14% into "The Hyena and the Hawk", book 3 in Adrian Tchaikosfky's "Echoes of the Fallen" trilogy. The story's moving along swiftly and given how it ties in elsewhere, it's working a lot more for me. It still lacks some of the richness of the steampunk of the Apt series but the various Shifting is making for some strong action scenes.
As an aside, after reading this Adrian will overtake Sanderson in my "most read" books. Adrian makes Brandon seem lazy at times!

I'll read it to finish it off but I won't enjoy it, compared to when I was running home from work to get to the Apt books and reading them in 3-4 days...

mcgovern

Finished Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton. While its not bad, its essentially just an introduction to the new series. We get a lot of backstory on the characters, and a small bit of actual story progression which doesn't resolve anything.
If you haven't gotten it yet I wouldn't be in a hurry until at least the next in the series is out.
After that I read Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard. It's an Aztec inspired fantasy so really stood out from the usual medieval based fantasy. It had an interesting magic system and world, I really enjoyed this one.
I finished listening to A Conjuring of Light. After the main story arc was resolved (and I think I may have missed it, it was certainly anti-climatic) there is another half a book tying up all main characters relationship statuses. I barely made it through the end.

Now listening to Elysium Fire by Alastair Reynolds which is probably as close as I'll get to a 'real' Revelation Space novel. It has some mention of Ultras, Conjoiners etc, and is set in a place from the other books (and is a direct sequel to The Prefect/Aurora Rising) but doesn't have much connection other than that. It's quite good so far though.
On the reading front I've started Iron Gold by Pierce Brown. I loved the first trilogy so hoping this keeps up the quality.

Nody

Nody wrote: »

Now moving on to another favorite author of mine (but has had a fall out on this forum from what I've seen) with the Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan while waiting for him to continue the Raven's shadow.

Finished Waking Fire and while the book is very confusing in the start dropping you in what feels the middle of multiple story arcs without any connection all the arcs do end up converging throughout the book with the final arc only connecting in on the last page literally! Overall I can't shake the feeling that there's another theme hidden to come out ala Prince of Sorrow but we'll see. It's a light steam punk in there (steam engines mainly) with some gunpowder technology (think pre WW1 era style guns) but it runs at a fast pace, always wanted to return for more and while long (768 pages) it's well written in a new fantasy world. Looking forward to read the rest of it.

Now returned to An Old Mans's war universe with "The end of all things".

finished the prince of nothing trilogy from r scott bakker- had read the first two previously but college encroached and its been a few years.

very good stuff, have the next four already lined up on the kindle.

smacl

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Finished Legend, still my favourite of all time

Was looking for a new book by an author I hadn't previously read so just picked this up on Amazon for the stonking price of £0.57

Nody

Nody wrote: »

Now returned to An Old Mans's war universe with "The end of all things".

Finished The end of all things which is really a series of short stories around one major story line which take a while to catch up to. Nothing amazing but it does move the overall story of the series forward and it's quickly wrapped up I still feel it was among the weakest in the series to date.

No sure what's next so will come back on that later.

lordgoat

Finished book one of Broken Earth. It's good but I didn't think it lived up to the praise it has been getting. Travelling with work for the next few days so will probably finish the series.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Just started 'Scourge:a Darkhust Novel' by Gail Z. Martin.

Not sure what to make of this yet, it's a bit Ghost Busters-ish so far but early days so I'll keep with it.

IrishZeus

lordgoat wrote: »

Finished book one of Broken Earth. It's good but I didn't think it lived up to the praise it has been getting. Travelling with work for the next few days so will probably finish the series.

I just finished the third and agree with your sentiments above unfortunately. It was worth finishing them but I just wasn’t blown away at all. Didn’t find the characters overly engaging and I just couldn’t get invested in the books at all.

kirk buttercup

started Luna by Iain Mcdonald about 50 pages in ,not sure about it yet .